Gretchen came into Hamilton Animal Services as a “stray.” Needless to say, it’s not very likely this sweet old dog actually ran away from home, but nobody came forward to claim her.
It looks like Gretchen has had multiple litters of puppies, so it’s possible she was tossed out of her home when she was no longer useful to her owners, but we’ll never know.
She has a bit of a strange gait. Four steps with her front feet only equal two steps with her back feet. It’s very odd. Funny enough, when she gets up some speed the half step goes away. She sometimes does a little bit of a hitch with her back leg when she walks, which could be luxating patella – a common condition in small dogs.
Like most of the senior dogs and cats we rescue, Gretchen’s teeth are horrendous. At her rescue day vet visit, she had blood work done that shockingly came back pretty good! She’s very skinny, so her foster family will do their best to get some weight on her before she has the dental surgery she desperately needs. Thankfully she has a great appetite, despite how painful it must be for her to eat.
She’s a sweet and gentle dog so far. Just wants a soft bed and a warm blanket to curl up under. We know she’ll be a lovely companion for the right person when she’s ready.

Welcome to Ladybird, Gretchen! We’re so happy you’re here!